Echoes of Fire and Shadows
Chapter 70: The Frustrated Wolfkin.
-----Julius’s POV-----
It has been half an hour since my first match of the tournament. So far, the event has proceeded without any issues. There have been some interruptions before the duels, but nothing really worth mentioning.
Most of the matches since have not been particularly long, the longest being eight minutes long and the shortest lasting less than thirty seconds.
Both matches actually belong to two people currently sitting at my table. The shortest match belongs to Zoe, who has just woken up after recovering from putting an obnoxious amount of salt in her tea. And the longest, belongs to Myria, the previously meek priestess of the Goddess of Virtue, who is currently sitting on my lap and looking extremely confident and content with herself.
As for how Myria managed to snatch me away from the embrace of both the Oriana sisters, I rather keep that to myself for now… I will just say that I’ve learned my lesson about abusing my succubus charm…
But before we continue talking about all the friends I made during this tournament and their antics, I suppose I should give a small rundown of how all the previous matches went. I’ll name the participants and give some of my own thoughts while I’m on it.
Aurora Teralis vs Jon Aesinur: The winner was Aurora. The battle lasted about three minutes and a half. Although Jon brandished a huge war hammer, he was unable to compete with the fast and nimble movements of Aurora, who only used a dagger during their match. My thoughts? I was surprised to learn that someone related to the royal family of Valciar studies in this academy.
Elizabeth Ephrain vs Mare Auralis: The winner was Elizabeth. The battle lasted seven minutes. The battle could have gone either way since both participants were evenly matched, but in the end, Elizabeth managed to claim the win thanks to her quick spell casting. I was amazed by the skills of the two participants, but even more so by the dominion of Earth Magic Mare seemed to have. A shame that she was unable to cast her spell fast enough. I also learned thanks to Lia that Mare is a cousin of Aurora.
Galem Mach vs Renard Caprasania: Renard was able to win by a landslide. The battle lasted less than 5 minutes. For the whole match, Renard only limited himself to block and parry his opponent’s attacks. It was clear from the start that Renard was the superior spellcaster of the two, despite Galem trying his best to overcome Renard’s defenses. In the end, the son of the prime minister was able to easily claim his win after blasting Renard into oblivion. My opinion on him? He’s probably one of the most skillful participants in the tournament, and he should definitely not be taken lightly.
And now, it is time for Felicia to face a guy named Thomas Lorenis, a wolfkin just like her, and for the Oriana sisters to meet each other in battle.
“Just you wait, you cute little thing. I am going to get rid of my sister, and we can return to being all lovey-dovey with one another.” Reina, the youngest of the Oriana sisters, spoke with her usual deadpan expression but with sparkling eyes added into the mix…
For the record, I have never been lovey-dovey with her…
"Oh my, it seems I am being underestimated by my own little sister… Whatever shall I do?" Cassandra, the oldest of the sisters, replied in a sarcastic manner. "But if that's what you wish for, then I shall accept the challenge. This will only make hugging Julius more enjoyable after I win." Cassandra said proudly as she stood up from her seat.
"Bring it on, dear sister. Victory will smile upon me today." Although her expression didn't change in the slightest, Reina stood defiant towards her sister.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever... I know you two are fired up and all, but can you stop with the whole infatuated-with-this-boy-I-just-met act for a bit? Seriously, it is getting tiresome already." Felicia was not pleased in the slightest for some reason. She seemed really moody as she also got up from the table for her duel.
"I agree…" I couldn't help but let a tired sigh.
(You reap what you sow. You did exactly what I warned you not to do.) Catris spoke in the same tone my mother used whenever she would scold me, which was pretty uncommon nowadays.
(Yep, that’s what you get for charming crazy.) Thiasis seemed very amused, as usual.
"I really can't believe that you seduced both of the Oriana sisters… Seriously, what the hell happened while I was unconscious!? How did you even manage to do that!?" Zoe still appeared to be flabbergasted by the attitude of the sisters.
I think that the irresponsible use of my succubus charm perhaps may be the cause of all this… If it wasn’t that, then I have no clue.
"I think it is fine. It is not like they are harming anybody, aren't they?" Surprisingly, Myria decided to defend the sisters.
"Funny that you would say that, considering that you just won your duel and simply decided to use Julius’s lap as your seat for no reason." Felicia replied. She was even more annoyed than before.
"Hehe~ He owed this to me." Myria replied playfully, just before turning her head to me and smiled warmly. “That’s what you get for being so mean to this humble and fragile priestess.” She then stuck out her tongue playfully after whispering those words to me.
In response, I couldn’t help but stare at Myria with a deadpan expression.
I know this is a situation of my own making and all, but I really need to be careful with my charm from now on… Puppy eyes is now a forbidden skill that should only be used as a last resort…
"Things just seem to keep getting grimmer for me… At this rate, I won’t be able to…-" Neris let out a heavy sigh while sitting beside Zoe.
“Neris, what did we talk about before? You just have to do your best, both in your matches and outside of them.” Zoe interrupted Neris and tried to reassure her. “In fact, you have nothing to worry about, as his defeat by my own hand shall be nothing but swift. I’ll make sure he pays a real fortune to take us all out. Of course, that includes both Cassandra and Reina since they are now sitting at our table too.” Zoe looked at me and grinned after trying to provoke.
And now she changes the rules of her game? This is outrageous! This is unfair!
Obviously, I was not thrilled by the fact that she had suddenly decided two more people into the mix. If I somehow manage to lose against her during our match, I would have to pay for six individual dates… What’s left of my savings is definitely in danger if I let her have her way.
“Bring it on. I have never been one to back out from a challenge.” I said to Zoe with a confident expression, not letting her see that I was a little annoyed at her. “I will certainly enjoy ordering around someone as high and mighty as Zoe Smotia. I wonder… What will I have you doing first?” I also didn’t forget to provoke her a little as well.
“Ahh… I see… Of course, I know you wouldn’t back down from a challenge! I wouldn’t expect any less from the son of the Skull Crusher! HOHOHOHO!” Zoe seemed to be acting a little off before letting out that peculiar laughter of hers.
“You know, I’m leaving before I get even more pissed off… This is a little annoying to witness as well…” Felicia was acting really grumpy for some reason.
I didn’t know why she was acting like that all of a sudden, but I decided to simply act supportive and ask her about it later after her duel.
“Alright, good luck and have fun. Enjoy your duel, Felicia.” I smiled at her and waved her off.
“Hmph… I am not in need of luck, but I suppose I’ll take it this time.” Felicia said in a somewhat playful tone before walking away to the center of the arena.
I silently stared at the wolfkin girl as she walked away from us.
“I wonder what has gotten to her all of a sudden…” Myria turned her head and spoke to me. “Perhaps was she feeling jealous that we are hogging your attention?” Her confused expression soon turned into a teasing smile.
“There’s no way that could be the case, right?” I quickly shook my head in denial. “Also, you’ve become quite sassy after winning your match, haven’t you?” I couldn’t resist the urge to tease her back.
“I wonder about that. But it is definitely true that you and I can be very dense at the best of times.” Myria simply giggled while nudging me. “Look, there’s a prime example of that.” She suddenly pointed at the Oriana sisters.
Both Cassandra and Reina were looking at me, almost as if expecting something really important from me.
“Ah… I suppose you’re right…” I nodded in agreement.
Well, I believe that since I am already this deep in the rabbit hole, I guess should go all the way…
“Cassandra, Reina… May the best of you win this match. I wish the best of luck to the two of you, and I hope that you have fun while you battle. Also, please don’t get rid of each other for my sake. I know it is practically impossible with the bracelets we are wearing, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.” I wished both sisters good luck and also gave them a little warning.
I wasn’t expecting for both girls, especially Reina, to suddenly show me beaming smiles before running off to the center of the arena. They left without saying a word, yet I could tell that they were even more excited about their battle now…
“Jeez… As a priestess, it is my responsibility to have a very stern talk with your parents. You just can’t go making fair maidens fall in love with you all of a sudden, young man.” Myria suddenly leaned her back against me and jokingly scolded me.
“Shut up… It is not like I did it on purpose…” I couldn’t help but frown in response.
“You didn’t intend for two maidens from a powerful and renowned house, who are also sisters on top of everything I mentioned, to fall in love with you? You’re lucky that I know that you’re pretty mean and straightforward, otherwise I might have called you a liar, and you should know that the Goddess detest liars.” Myria suddenly looked me in the eyes and smiled warmly as she continued to tease me.
“This is really your payback, isn’t it?” I asked before letting out a sigh.
“You’re damn right about that. Bad boys must be punished, especially those who are mean to such a fragile little priestess like me… Especially those who threaten my secret stash of sweets.” Myria turned her back to me again and started fake crying…
“Fair enough…” I decided to yield for now, but not before making a mental note to play Myria a prank later in the near future.
Myria’s fake crying soon turned into her humming happily as she managed to make me stop talking back to her...
Well, at the very least, I am glad that me showing Myria some tough love worked out and gave her the boost of confidence she needed to win her match.
“You know, I am still a tad bit confused about this, but when did you two got this close?” Zoe asked while tilting her head.
“I do wonder about that myself…” Neris looked a little peeved while looking at Myria and I.
“I supposed I could tell you.” Myria said happily. She also turned her head around to show me the playful grin she had on her face. “But where should I begin? Ah, I know! How about that time that, thanks to the will of the Goddess, I managed to hear his voice in my mind during my match due to him praying so intensely for my victory!” Myria decided to tell Neris and Zoe and exaggerated version of what actually happened.
Gods, please have mercy on me…
(We won’t! Maybe that way you will learn your lesson and heed my warnings!) Catris said, almost as if she was enjoying herself too with this situation.
Sigh, well I guess I have to reap what I sowed…
-----Felicia’s POV-----
“Tsk… It is so freaking annoying…” I couldn’t help but click my tongue and clench my fists due to how pissed off I was feeling.
Ever since the crazy Oriana sisters joined our table, I have been feeling very irritated for some reason. Things did not improve in the slightest after Myria manage to secure her victory and then suddenly decided to seat on Julius’s lap… I was happy that she won, but sitting on his lap irritated me far more than the two crazies for some reason…
“I am grateful that you’ve been waiting patiently for your duels. It must have taken a lot of restraint for the four of you, hasn’t it?” Professor Dante looked at us and smiled playfully. A very rare sight since he looked depressed more often than not.
There were four students standing in front of the Vice-Principal and Professor Dante. Besides the crazy sisters and I, the remaining student was someone I, more or less, knew, much to my dismay.
Thomas Lorenis, a wolfkin just like me. Son of one of my father’s vassals and someone I used to play with during my childhood. We got along just fine back then, I would say that we were best friends even, was until we were ten years old, when he somehow got the weird idea that I was going to be the mother of his children or something like that and started pestering me, asking me every day to get married to him.
To make a long story short, I beat the crap out of him the moment my patience ran out… Extreme, I know. I’ve always been more on the temperamental side. But I had genuinely exhausted all of my options. My parents said that I needed to learn how to deal with minor issues like these, which was fair in my opinion, since I had always been very independent. As for his parents, they were obviously encouraging the union since they wanted their son to become my husband, thus making him an Earl.
I put an end to that idea really quick with a kick to the face!
Anyway, Thomas now had long brown hair that went way past his shoulders and had some orange-colored eyes. He grew to become way taller than me. He was probably around 2.20 meters tall? Furthermore, he also gained a lot of muscle since the last time we saw each other. He was not carrying any weapons or armor, only his uniform that barely fitted him due to his size. Instead, he seemed like he was going to fight with his claws, just like me.
Hmm… I wonder if I’ll have to kick him in the face yet again to make him yield? I really hope, he doesn’t ask for my hand in marriage again…
“...” Thomas simply remained silent while crossing his arms. He glanced at the professor for a second, before shifting his gaze elsewhere. That elsewhere being exactly where I was standing at, unfortunately.
“Indeed! Waiting at first was a little boring, but we managed to find someone interesting to help us pass the time.” Cassandra replied politely, clearly not bothered by Thomas’s attitude.
“I finally found someone to take back home. Mother and Father will no longer think that our bloodline will end with us two. They should be pleased.” Reina said something weird while adjusting her glasses, but her comment pissed me off a little.
And why would you even think that he would help you continue your bloodline? Hmph…
“I assume it is the new adoptive child of the Skull Crusher? Figured as much.” The Professor laughed very loudly, another rare sigh. “Oh, my poor niece and her friend seem to have a lot of competition. That little priestess from before also looked quite joyful when she returned to your table. On top of being strong, he is also a heartbreaker? I’m certain that those two will have it hard by the time the tournament ends.” He looked towards our table, presumably at his niece, and grinned from ear to ear.
“Professor, you’re oddly talkative today.” The Vice-Principal looked a little stunned.
“It is not every day that you stumble upon this kind of amusing situation. I might not look like it, but I enjoy witnessing the drama in other people’s lives.” The Professor nodded to himself. “You should probably try to do your best there too before it is too late, Felicia. You wouldn’t want to have all your fellow teenage noble girls to hoard all of his attention and make him forget about you.” Dante also said something weird that also managed to piss me off even more.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about...” I shook my head in denial. “I came here to show the might of my House and win this tournament. That’s it.” I said to him with a cold tone.
“Right, right, whatever you say, little pup.” The Professor didn’t seem to mind my answer, if anything he was way more amused than before. "Anyway… The ninth and the tenth duel will begin now. Participants, state your desired battlefield." The Professor announced loudly for everyone in the arena to hear.
As soon as he made the announcement, the entire coliseum cheered due to the excitement of the upcoming battles.
"The Ashen Fields." Both Thomas and I said in unison.
I couldn't help stare at Thomas with a raised eyebrow, but he simply ignored my gaze.
"We want to fight in our practice field behind our family's manor. You've been there before, isn't that right, Professor?" Cassandra said casually.
"There's simply no better place to defeat my sister once more." Reina simply nodded in agreement with her older sister.
"Unfortunately for me, yes, I have been there…" The Professor said before letting out a sigh. "But thank you all for making my life easier. You will now be transported to your desired battlefield. I wish the best of luck to all of you, dear students of this academy." Dante said before snapping his fingers.
At that moment, I felt the entire world shake uncontrollably, almost as if everything was going to crumble upon me, but then a bright light covered my view, blinding me completely.
However, as soon as I was able to open my eyes, I found myself in an open, vast field.
Instead of the lush greenery in the grasslands of the Empire, I was met with an ocean of gray.
The grass, the plants, the trees, and even the sky all seemed as if they had been showered in ash. The atmosphere even resembled the atmosphere near the few volcanoes in the Caprasania Dukedom.
A field that was a complete mismatch compared to the rest of my family's Earldom. This place was supposedly the result of one of the battles against the Demon King during the Thousand-Year War.
“...” I stared at my opponent in silence as I took a deep breath to get used to the heavy atmosphere of the ruined field.
I have been using the Ashen Fields as my training grounds ever since my mother and father taught me how to hunt. There’s no one who knows this place and its dangers better than I do.
“Why did you choose this place?” I asked Thomas while raising an eyebrow. Of course, I hadn’t forgotten to take a stance, just in case my opponent tried anything funny.
Despite what happened between us, he should be aware that the Ashen Fields are practically my hunting grounds, almost a second home. Why would he choose a place where I have the advantage?
“Why, you ask? It is pretty simple to be honest.” For the first time since we met, he had finally decided to talk. His voice had become very deep compared to the high-pitched voice he had as a small boy. “I’ve been training for years and thinking. Thinking about the day we would reunite…” Thomas looked at the ashen sky, before suddenly smiling.
Oh, gods… I think I know where this is headed to…
“That kick to the face and that brutal way you rejected me back then, really left a deep mark on me. For some time, I actually hated you for rejecting me. I couldn’t fathom why would you reject me after spending so much time together… I truly couldn’t understand your reasons not to accept my proposal to spend the rest of our lives together…” Thomas suddenly looked at me, the smile on his face was enough to give me the creeps…
Yep, I knew this was going to happen… Why doesn’t he understand that I wanted and still want nothing with him even after that kick?
"It wasn't long before I realized that I still wanted you. And I also remembered one very important thing." Thomas clenched both of his fists while staring at me. "Your family believes in strength above all. Your kind only submits to the strongest. Like your father and mother did after losing against the Emperor, The Skull Crusher, and the Crimson Witch." He spoke with absolute confidence.
Ah… This is actually happening…
"Thus, I realized that the only way for me to have the one I want, in other words you Felicia, I would have to utterly humiliate you in battle on the place you feel most confident." Thomas's creepy smile soon turned into a shit-eating grin. "Now, why don't you simply accept our future marriage and surrender like a good girl? There's no need to make this difficult for yourself. But, if you do decide to resist, I will put you in your place." Thomas demanded my unconditional surrender while showing me his claws, which were definitely twice the size of mine.
I was already pissed off thanks to what was happening at my table with Julius and the other girls, but Thomas's words were enough to make me see red… I was so unbelievably angry that for a moment, I considered tearing out my opponent's throat.
Not only was I angry because he was still so creepily fixated on me, but also for the fact that he was heavily underestimating me and ordering me around.
But… For some reason, what angered me more than that was him talking about our "future marriage" as if it was set into stone. There's no way I could agree to be with someone like that… Instead, my mind drifted to someone else entirely…
Even while angered and as I continued to think about that someone, I couldn't help but remind myself of the words the professor had told me right before the match started.
All the anger I was feeling disappeared within the blink of an eye, as I had made up my mind.
"It is true. That is the way of my House. We will only submit to a strong ruler, and we will only accept someone stronger as a partner. Everything else is unacceptable." I nodded my head in agreement. "That being said, let us take the difficult route. Show me how strong you have gotten… No, show me that you're stronger than me, and I will accept the marriage you desperately seem to want without further complaint." I said to Thomas.
"As I thought. This is the only way to make you listen to reason." He shook his head with annoyance before taking a stance. Immediately after taking a stance, an explosive burst of aura engulfed Thomas. Said aura also provoked some powerful gusts of wind all around us. “Bear witness to the results of my training, Felicia. This should be enough to make you reconsider how foolish it is for you to try to take me on.” Thomas spoke with pride while taunting me.
Hmm… So that’s why he seemed so overly confident. In terms of raw power, his [Fighting Spirit] aura feels comparable to mine. I can see why he would think that such a thing would be enough to defeat me… However, he will need much more than that to take me down.
“That’s it? That’s all you have?” I asked Thomas with a genuinely curious expression.
“Don’t try to pretend to be brave, Felicia. We both know that we should be almost evenly matched even while using [Fighting Spirit]. Though, if it comes to physical strength, it is obvious which one is the superior one between us.” He smiled, completely blinded by his own ego.
It is time to get this over with. I will make sure he never pulls this kind of crap on me again.
“You have gotten a little strong, I’ll give you that… But if you think that I only have [Fighting Spirit] as a trump card, you’re dead wrong.” I said before releasing my own aura to match Thomas’s.
“Jesting will not make me give you any mercy, my dear Felicia. If anything, it is only pissing me off. And you DO NOT want to see me get pissed off.” Thomas looked at me as if I had insulted him and his whole bloodline, which I kinda wanted to do. “Let us end this theatrics. I am done trying to convince you to take the easy way and admit defeat.” Thomas’s expression immediately turned serious, still not believing that I had more power hidden within.
Just like I thought initially, both auras were almost equal in terms of power and size. However, mine was vastly superior to Thomas’s in other areas. When it came to the use of energy and quality of the aura, Thomas’s technique seemed utterly sloppy. His aura was the work of an amateur who only focused on cultivating one aspect of his [Fighting Spirit] while neglecting the others. In others words, a simpleminded fool.
“I was actually saving this as a last resort for when I had to face a strong opponent like Midnight Starlight or the son of the Skull Crusher, but I suppose that it is alright for me to use it, as your future liege, to teach you a very important lesson. This duel will be over within an instant.” I took a very deep breath as I focused to draw that power from the inside. “[Limit Break].” As those words left my lips, my aura exploded with a burst of burning energy.
In the blink of an eye, my aura had grown to be thrice the size of Thomas’s, almost reaching the ashen skies above. But my [Fighting Spirit] was not the only thing that changed, my muscles as well as my claws and fangs grew in size as well, I felt completely reinvigorated, with enough energy to face the Skull Crusher himself in necessary.
“Wait… There’s no way… I never knew that you could use that skill… But… How…? How is something like this possible…? I’ve never seen you use it before…” Immediately after noticing the changes in me, Thomas got visibly pale.
[Limit Break] is a skill that only those who have successfully managed to break past their limits can acquire. In a way, it is a skill similar to [Transcendence], though the former comes with very hefty drawbacks that the latter does not possess.
Using [Limit Break] for more than a minute is taxing enough on the body to make the user feel as if every single one of their bones were being crushed at the same time. Using this skill for long causes so much strain on the body that death becomes certain past the ten-minute mark.
But as its name implies, this is a skill that allows the user to go beyond their physical and magical limits and to draw upon one hundred percent of the strength that resides within them.
Few people manage to reach old age after abusing such dangerous skill, and even fewer can completely master it. I intend to part of the latter group.
“I mean, I could explain to you how or why I am able to use this skill, but I would rather show you how outclassed you are before all of my limbs and joints start hurting.” I said as I approached Thomas. I was in a bit of a bad mood still. “I do hope this doesn’t dissuade you from showing me my place, Thomas.” I spoke sarcastically as I played around with my claws.
I suppose should be more than able to finish this in one go…
As I continued to approach my former childhood friend, he was only capable of standing in place, gawking at me while looking as a pale as a ghost. Worse than that, the moment I managed to reach him, he started trembling in fear as his eyes remained focused on me.
“You know, this situation is one of the exact reasons why I don’t want to be with someone like you.” I said as I raised my arm and prepared my claws to strike him down. It was a funny sight considering that he towered over me by a lot. “I don’t want to be with an egotistical dumbass who only thinks of himself, who clearly does not have the skills to back up his overconfidence, and cowers in the face of adversity just like you’re doing instead of fighting back despite the odds… Which is why I will never EVER be with you, Thomas. I do miss the old you, that is a fact… But you just had to ruin it all because of your ego and because you couldn’t take a no for an answer.” I said to Thomas in attempt to discourage him from trying something likes this again.
I did not care for what kind of expression Thomas was making. All I did was to shake my head with disappointment at the loss of what could have been a great lifelong friendship or possibly something more due to Thomas’s sudden creepy shift in personality.
For years, despite how our friendship had seemingly ended, I always had hopes that Thomas would return to be his old self, but now it was crystal clear something like that was impossible.
“I genuinely hope you never try something like this again, otherwise I might have to challenge your father to a duel and make him name your younger brother his heir. Farewell, Thomas.” I gave him one last stern look right before bringing down my claws toward his bracelet, destroying it completely in just an instant thanks to all the mana put into my attack.
As soon as the bracelet ceased to exist, Thomas’s was teleported away to the infirmary. I had won, but I didn’t feel happy in the slightest about it. Everything about this duel simply felt bittersweet to me.
“How did that gentle, brave, and happy-go-lucky boy from back then turned into this? He didn’t even fight back at all…” I couldn’t help but frown after letting a huge sigh. “Perhaps that is reason why I like Julius so much… He acts the same way Thomas did when we were little…” I ended up staring at the ashen sky above while feeling nostalgic, not realizing what I had just said out loud.
It didn’t take very long for the whole world around me to shake once more, a sign that I was about to be teleported back to the coliseum by the professor.
“Perhaps I might listen to the Professor’s advice this time, and maybe I should follow Myria’s lead. I could demand a hug or two to see if it would help me to get rid of this bittersweet feeling…” I absentmindedly said as I took one last look at my favorite place in the world, before I had to return to reality. “It would be nice to bring him here one day…” Those were the last words I managed to utter in the Ashen Fields before I was blinded and teleported like before.
It was already too late and I knew it. I had already been tamed by Julius. In the end, the very thing I wanted to avoid, still happened somehow…. I didn’t want to be tamed just like his parents’ had done to mine by showing their absolute strength and might, but he didn’t even need to do that…
This fact would also become painfully obvious to everyone as soon as I got back to the arena, much to my horror... Still, I managed to win my first duel, despite the fact that I was unable to have a proper fight.
thank you for the chapter and the epic fight.
I can't wait till he drops his forced dense act :v
Poor thomas f*cked up. Cmon man smh